I think some attribute this motion of the rich man

concerning his brethren to another cause ; as if he had defired it, not out of kindness to them, but out of regard to himself; as being afraid that if his brethren, who probably were corrupted by his example, had perished by that means, it would have been an aggravation of his torments. But this conjecture is too fubtile, and without any good ground; for every man carries his burden of guilt with him out of this world, and it is not increased by any consequence of our actions here. For the crime of a bad example is the fame, whether men follow it or not, because he that gives bad example to others, does what in him lies to draw them into fin; and if they do not follow it, that is no mitigation of his fault.

I have but one observation more, and that is from the mention of his brethren as his nearest relations; which is a great aggravation of the rich man's uncharitableness, because he is represented as having no children to take care for, and yet he would not consider the poor.

And thus I have, as briefly as I could, endeavoured to explain this parable, and have made fuch observations from the circumstances of it, as may be useful for our instruction: But as I premised at first, I will not warrant all these observations to be certainly intended by our Saviour. I know very well that every circumstance of a parable is not to be prest too far, the moral accommodation does chiefly belong to the main scope of it, and many circumstances are only brought in to fill up the parable, and to make up a handfomer way for that which is most material, and principally intended: But fo long as the observations are true and useful, and have a fair colour and occasion from the circumstances, it is well enough; to be fure there is no harm done. I proceed to the second fort of observations, namely, such as are drawn from the main scope and intent of the parable, which I promised to speak more largely to; and they are fix, which I fhall handle in order.

First, I observe that uncharitableness and unmercifulness to the poor, is a great and damning fin.

We

We find no other fault imputed to the rich man but this, that he took no care out of his superfluity and abundance to relieve this poor man that lay at his gate. He is not charged for want of justice, but of charity; not for having got a great estate by fraud or oppreffion, but that in the midst of this abundance he had no confideration and pity for those that were in want.

I shall endeavour to make out this observation by the parts of it. It, That unmercifulness and uncharitableness to the poor is a great fin.

2dly, Such a fin, as alone and without any other guilt, is sufficient to ruin a man for ever. I shall speak to these severally.

1st, That unmercifulness and uncharitableness to the poor is a very great fin. It contains in its very nature two black crimes, inhumanity and impiety.

1. Inhumanity; it is an argument of a cruel and savage disposition, not to pity those that are in want and misery. And he doth not truly pity the miseries of others, that doth not relieve them when he hath ability and opportunity in his hands. Tenderness and compassion for the fufferings of others, is a virtue so proper to our nature, that it is therefore called humanity, as if it were essential to human nature, and as if without this we did not deserve the name of men. To see men like ourselves, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, labour under want and neceffity, and yet not to be moved to commiserate them, this is a sign that we have put off our own nature, otherwise we should pity the sufferings of it in others. For whenever we behold a man like ourselves groaning under want, and prest with neceffity, and do not relent towards him, and are not ready to relieve him, we are hard-hearted to our own nature, and do in some sense what the Apostle says no man ever did (that is, none retaining the temper and affections of a man) hate his own flesh.

This the scripture speaks of as a most barbarous fort of inhumanity, and calls it murder, 1 John iii. 15. Whoso hateth his brother, is a murderer; and

not

not to relieve our brother in want, is to hate him; for this is the instance which the Apostle gives at the 17th verse, Whoso hath this world's goods, and feeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compaffion from him; whoso doth not confider the poor, is a man-flayer and a murderer, he is cruel to his own nature, nay, were he sufficiently sensible of the condition of human nature, he is cruel to himself.

Seest thou a poor man in great misery and want, there is nothing that hath befallen him but what is common to man, what might have been thy lot and portion as well as his, and what may happen to thee or thine another time. Make it therefore thine own cafe; (for so the providence of God may make it one time or other, and thou provokest him to make it fo speedily, by thy unmerciful disposition toward the poor) I say, make it thine own cafe; if thou wert in the poor man's condition, and he in thine, confult thine own bowels, and tell me how thou wouldst wish him to be affected toward thee. Wouldst thou be willing that he should flight and repulse thee, and shut up his bowels of compaffion from thee? If not, then do not thou deal so with him; confider that it may be thine own cafe, therefore do not thou give the world any bad example in this kind, do not teach men to be unmerciful, left they learn of thee, and thou find the ill effects of it, when it comes to be thine own condition. This is the first aggravation of this fin, the inhumanity of it. But,

2. Besides the inhumanity of this fin, it is likewise a great impiety toward God. Unmercifulness to the poor hath this fourfold impiety in it; it is a contempt of God; an ufurpation upon his right; a flighting of his providence; and a plain demonstration that we do not love God, and that all our pretences to religion are hypocritical and infincere.

1. It is a contempt of God, and a reproaching of him; fo Solomon tells us, Prov. xiv. 31. He that oppresseth the poor, (not only he that dealeth unjustly with a poor man, but he that is uncharitable towards him, as appears by the oppofition, but he that banoureth him, hath mercy on the poor. Here oppref

fion of the poor is opposed to want of charity charity towards him ;) He that oppresseth the poor, reproacheth his maker. How is that? He despiseth God who made him after his own image and likeness: For the poor man bears the image of God as well as the rich, fo that thou canst not oppress or neglect him, without some reflexion upon God, whose image he bears.

2. The uncharitable man is an ufurper upon God's right. The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof, and he hath given it to the children of men, not absolutely to dispose of as they please, but in trust, and with certain reservations, so as to be accountable to him for the disposal of it. In respect of other men, we are andeed true proprietors of our estates: but in respect of God, we are but stewards; and he will call us to an account how we have laid them out. So much as we need is ours; but beyond what will fupport us, and be a convenient provision for our family in the rank wherein God hath placed us, all that is given to us, that we may give it to others. And if God hath been liberal to us in the blessings of this life, it is on purpose to give us an opportunity, and to engage us to be so to others that stand in need of our charity; and we are false to our truft, if we keep those things to ourselves, which we receive from God, for this very end that we might distribute them to others, according to the proportion of our ability and their neceffity. This is to hide our Lord's talent in a napkin, and that which thou storest up in this case is unjustly detained by thee; for God intended it should have been for bread for the hungry, and for cloaths for the naked, for the relief and support of those who were ready to perish.

3. The uncharitable man is impious in flighting of God's providence. He does not confider that riches and poverty are of the Lord, that he can foon change our condition, and that it is an easy thing with him to make a rich man poor. We do not fufficiently reverence the providence which rules the world, if when God hath blest us with plenty and abundance, we have no pity and regard for those that are in need. God can foon turn the wheel, and lay thee as low as the the poor man whom thou dost neglect. He can caft down the mighty from their seat, and exalt the humble and meek; fill the hungry with good things, and send the rich empty away.

God's providence could easily have disposed of things otherwise, to have secured every man from want: but he hath on purpose ordered this variety of conditions, high and low, rich and poor, not that some men might have an advantage to infult over and despise others, but that there might be an opportunity for the exercise of several virtues; that the poor might have an opportunity to exercise their dependence upon God, and their patience and fubmiffion to his will; and that the rich might shew their temperance, and moderation, and charity.

4. Unmercifulness to the poor is a plain demonstration that we do not love God, and that all our other pretences to religion are hypocritical, and infincere. St. James tells us, that pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widow, Jam. i. 27. That the wisdom which is from above is full of mercy and good fruits, chap. iii. 17. St. John represents this uncharitable disposition as utterly inconfiftent with the true love of God, I John iii. 17. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him; how dwelleth the love of God in him? In vain does such a man pretend to love God; nay, chap. iv. ver. 20. he tells us, that it is impossible such a man should love God. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? This deferves to be ferioufly confidered by those who make a great shew of devotion, and are at great pains in prayer, and fasting, and reading, and hearing the word of God, and in all other frugal exercises of religion, which stand them in no money; lest all their labour be lost for want of this one necessary and essential part; lett, with the young man in the gospel, after they have kept all other commandments, they be rejected by